Challenger free, Rochford eyes fourth term as Morris County sheriff

Rochford, the sole candidate seeking to fill the sheriff's seat
for a fourth , three-year term, spelled out a list of goals and
objectives. He also pointed t o a long list of accomplishments over
his past three terms as sheriff. He said he has been instrumental
in creating tours of the new county jail, and said he will continue
that.

"We do it a lot, and we have been doing it since May of 2000. We
have had more than 1,500 people tour the new facility and we are
still doing it," Rochford said. "We have Scouts and civic
organizations through all the time," he said. " I will keep that
up. It's good for county residents to see how their tax money w as
spent, and it's good for them to see what a professionally run
facility we have. They can see first-hand the good job that our
officers and staff are doing. They have a chance to interact with
the staff and they really learn a lot," he said.

He also said he has been instrumental in a 60 percent increase
in requests for the crime scene unit, with calls for service rising
from 569 in 1999 to 907 last year.

Crime Scenes

"This is a service we provide to 38 towns in the county. When
the police arrive on a crime scene, they usually call us. What this
unit does is to develop evidence and send it to the forensic lab.
Our officers are fully trained and they do this kind of work on a
daily basis. To be sharp in this field, you have to do it on a
daily basis and many police departments do not have the resources
to do that," he said.

The past several years have seen the sheriff's department foil
check fraud in Florham Park, a bank robbery in Dover, a car-jacking
in East Hanover Township and several breaking and entering
incidents county wide. "Altogether, crime is down 27 percent since
1992," he said.

The sheriff's office, Rochford said, is also charged with
enforcing child support payments. "In 1993, we changed our
enforcement methods, because we knew there had to be a better way,"
he said. Last year, he said, the response rate reached 90 percent.
"Since 1993, we have received 4,357 warrants, and 4,330, or 99
percent, have been resolved or called by the courts," he
said.

Rochford also said he has, and will continue to, undertake
foreclosure sales. " We used to have a nine month backlog, now
there is no backlog," he said.

He was also at the helm of the department when it received
National Law Enforcement Accreditation, and was the first in New
Jersey to receive that designation. "We are one of 55 of 3,093
nationwide to receive that designation," he said.

"We now have 22 fewer employees than we did in 1993, and, over
the past nine years, the salary and wages budget has increased just
19.8 percent, or about 2.2 percent per year, and that's well below
the rate of inflation," he said.

Rochford said he has been key in expanding the Sheriff's Labor
Assistance Program (SLAP) as well as the Police Explorer program,
and said he will continue to focus on expanding both.

He was also instrumental in the county's Cash For Guns program,
wherein money is exchanged for any gun a citizen turns in. A recent
round netted 394 weapons, with a total payout of $15,750.

Low-Key Sheriff

Rochford said he operates in a low-key manner and said his goal
has always been to work with other law enforcement agencies in a
cooperative manner. "I have al ways taken a team approach. We don't
have turf wars in Morris County. Our job is really to provide
support. We are here to help. If you work together, especially in
the field of law enforcement, you can accomplish a lot more," he
said.

Before being elected sheriff, he was deputy chief of police in
Morris Township, where he served for 27 years. He is a graduate of
the City University of New York, the John Jay College of Criminal
Justice, where he received a bachelor's degree in police science
and criminal justice. He is also a graduate of the F.B.I. National
Academy, Quantico, Virginia, and the National Sheriff's Institute,
Longmont, Colo.

Rochford is a lifelong resident of Morris County and resides in
Denville with his wife, Diana.

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In recent weeks, Long Hill Township and Watchung Borough passed ordinances allowing their police departments to be able to apply for surplus equipment from the Department of Defense. Long Hill recently procured a Humvee to use in times of flooding, which Watchung states as the reason they are getting into the program. However, in cities around the country, police forces have used the program to obtain military gear, such as weapons and armor.
For more background, go to the link below
http://www.newjerseyhills.com/echoes-sentinel/news/watchung-police-department-hopes-to-receive-equipment-from-department-of/article_12ad002a-92b3-5449-a2cc-4b2cf0ce4339.html